McDonald's Jaipur outlet under food safety regulator's scanner; says 'fully cooperating' with authorities

Food safety regulator FSSAI has asked quick service restaurant chain McDonald's to comply with the quality standard at a Jaipur-based outlet within 15 days, and the company said it is ''fully cooperating'' with the authorities. A team of officials from Rajasthan's Food Safety Commissionerate on Monday carried out an inspection at a McDonald's outlet in Jaipur and found cooking oil unfit for consumption and rotten tomatoes in storage. A McDonald's spokesperson said, the company follows rigorous global standards and remains strictly compliant with the guidelines prescribed by FSSAI and food regulatory authorities. Manish Mittal, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Jaipur II, said that during an inspection at a McDonald's outlet, the team found that French fries and other food items were being prepared in poor-quality and unsafe edible oil, posing health risks. ''Total Polar Compounds (TPC) level in the refined oil used for frying French fries and other food items was found to be above the prescribed maximum limit of 25. TPC level of oil used for frying non-vegetarian items was 28 while the oil used for vegetarian items recorded a TPC level of 31,'' he said. TPC is a parameter used to assess the quality of edible oil. ''If the level exceeds 25, the oil falls in the toxic category and may develop carcinogenic elements along with harmful fats that can lead to serious heart ailments,'' Mittal said. Samples of the oil were taken for testing and about 40 litres of oil were destroyed. Also, around 40 kg of rotten tomatoes stored in plastic crates in the cold room were destroyed. ''Restaurant manager was directed to immediately use only fresh and standard-compliant oil,'' he said. The outlet was issued a notice under the Food Safety and Standards Act for improvement within 15 days. According to Mittal, action was also taken against another Jaipur-based restaurant, 'Chaat Ka Chaska', where around 25 kg of contaminated food material was destroyed on the spot. Meanwhile, a McDonald's spokesperson said, ''We acknowledge the routine inspection conducted and are fully cooperating with the authorities.'' The ''follows rigorous McDonald's global standards and remains strictly compliant with the guidelines prescribed by FSSAI and food regulatory authorities''. At McDonald's, food safety and quality are fundamental to our operations, supported by robust protocols across sourcing, storage, and preparation, the spokesperson said. ''We remain committed to consistently upholding these standards and reinforcing the trust our customers place in us every day,'' the spokesperson said. McDonald's operates in India through two franchise partners. In north and east India, it operates through Connaught Plaza Restaurants.